Erie County,
Pennsylvania

History of
Erie County, Pennsylvania 1884

by Samuel P. Bates,

Chapter
XVIII - Perry's Victory and the War of 1812-14

After submitting to
a galling train of annoyances and indignities for a period of twenty-nine
years, war was declared for the second time by the United States against
Great Britain on the 18th of June, 1812.

At that time the Canadian territory bordering the lakes and the St.
Lawrence was far in advance of the opposite side of the United States in
population, commerce and agriculture. The British were also much better
prepared for war, having kept up a series of military posts from Niagara
to Sault Ste. Marie, which were well supplied with men, arms and
provisions, and being provided with a "Provincial Navy," which
gave them the mastery of the lakes. They were on the best of terms with
the Indians on both sides of the water, whose co-operation they artfully
managed to retain during the progress of the war, and whose reputation for
cruelty kept the American frontier in a constant state of terror whenever
their warlike bands were known or supposed to be in the vicinity. On the
American side, the population was sparse, the settlements were small and
widely scattered, and the military posts were few, weak, and either
insufficiently defended or left without protection of any kind. There was
no navy or regular army. The military of the several States were poorly
organized and without suitable equipments, and, to make a bad condition
worse, the Indians were everywhere hostile, treacherous, and ready at the
expected signal to combine for the purpose of driving the when men out of
the country.

Erie's Defenseless Condition
Erie, then a mere handful of rude buildings, from its position near the
center of the lake and the excellence of its harbor, was regarded as one
of the most important of the Western military posts. On the east, there
was no village of any size nearer than Buffalo, and the country between
scarcely contained ten families to the square mile. Westward the greater
portion of the region remained an unbroken forest, the only settlements
along the lakes worthy of a name being those which surrounded the military
posts at Cleveland, Sandusky, Toledo and Detroit. The latter was then the
chief town of the "far West," the center of barter, commerce and
political influence, and was naturally looked upon as the principal
strategic point of the frontier. So utterly defenseless was Erie at the
outbreak of the war, that it could and probably would have been easily
captured by the British had they known its actual situation. The only
semblance to a fortification was an old, almost ruined block-house on the
eastern part of the peninsula, built in 1795, which was without a soldier,
a gun, or a pound of ammunition. The most formidable instrument of war in
the town was a small iron boat howitzer, owned by Gen. Kelso, which was
used in firing salutes on the Fourth of July, and other patriotic and
momentous occasions.

First Stages of the War
Although war had been dreaded for several years, when hostilities did
actually commence, they were so little expected on the frontier that Capt.
Daniel Dobbins, Rufus Seth Reed and W. W. Reed sailed in a trading vessel
for Mackinaw soon after the opening of navigation, confident that they
could make the venture in safety. The first knowledge they and the people
of Mackinaw had that peace was at an end, was the landing of a body of
British and Indians upon the island, who demanded the surrender of the
post and of the vessels in the harbor. The Erie party thus found
themselves, much against their will, prisoners of war. Their vessel, the
Salina, with the others captured by the enemy, was made a cartel to convey
the prisoners and non-combatants to Cleveland, but on reaching Detroit was
taken possession of by Gen. Hull, and fell again into the hands of the
British, upon the disgraceful surrender of that officer. Through the
influence of a British military man with whom Capt. Dobbins was
acquainted, they were allowed to depart, and reached Cleveland in open
boats by crossing from island to island. At Cleveland, they fell in with a
small sloop bound down the lakes, which Capt. Dobbins navigated to Erie.

Previous to the war, a small military company had been organized at Erie,
under the command of Capt. Thomas Frostier. The members immediately
tendered their services to the President and were accepted for the time
being. In anticipation of the conflict, Gov. Snyder, who was a warm friend
of the administration, had organized the militia of the State into two
grand divisions -- one for the east and one for the west. The western
division was under the command of Maj. Gen. Adamson Tannehill, of
Pittsburgh; the brigade of which the Erie County militia formed a part,
was commanded by Brig. Gen. John Kelso, and the Erie County regiment was
under the command of Dr. John C.; Wallace. Among the officers of the
regiment were Capts. Andrew Cochran, Zelotus Lee, James Barr, William
Dickson, Robert Davison, Warren Foote, John Morris, -- Smith and --
Donaldson. Capt. Barr and his men volunteered for the campaign, were
ordered to Sandusky, spent the winter of 1812-13 there, and returned in
the spring. Robert Moorhead was a Sergeant in the company and accompanied
them through the campaign. The estimation in which these and the other
Pennsylvania troops, in what was then the "far West," were held
by the commanders, is shown by an extract from a letter sent by Gen.
Harrison to Gov. Snyder: "I can assure you," he writes,
"there is no corps on which I rely with more confidence, not only for
the fidelity of undaunted valor in the field, but for those virtues which
are more rarely found amongst the militia -- patience and fortitude under
great hardships and deprivations -- and cheerful obedience to all commands
of their officers." Capt. Cochran's Springfield company kept guard
along the lake for some months, and was frequently called out at later
stages of the war. The company commanded by Capt. Foote, was assigned, in
the beginning, to "keep sentry at the head of the peninsula, three by
rotation to stand a tour of twenty-four hours." In giving special
mention to these parties and others that may be named hereafter, no
discrimination is intended against others who rendered as much or greater
service. The writer can only relate such matters as he knows to be
authentic, and the records are very meager and uncertain.

Assembling the Militia
Before the close of June, Gen. Kelso ordered out his brigade for the
defense of Erie. This was quickly followed by a general call for the
Sixteenth Division, this State having by this time been apportioned into
more numerous military districts. The brigade rendezvous was on the farm
of John Lytle, upon the flats near Waterford. Great excitement was caused
by a rumor after Hull's surrender that the enemy were coming down the lake
to take all the important places, as also by the news that a large British
and Indian force was being organized on the opposite side of Lake Erie,
whose special object was a descent upon Presque Isle. The whole Northwest
was aroused, and very soon upward of two thousand men were collected from
Erie, Crawford, Mercer and the adjoining counties.

On the 23d of July, notice was sent to William Clark, of Meadville,
Brigade Inspector, that 505 muskets had that day been forwarded from
Harrisburg, with a supply of flints, lead and powder. August 13, a
detachment of 2,500 of the Northwestern militia -- increased in September
by 2,000 more -- were ordered to march to Buffalo, which was menaced by
the enemy. Their places of rendezvous were fixed at Meadville and
Pittsburgh, and they were required to be at the scene of hostilities by
the 25th of September. The division elected Gen. Tannehill
Commander-in-chief, who remained in charge during the campaign. They
continued at Buffalo the winter through, and it is related to the credit
of Erie County, that while many others deserted not one man of Col.
Wallace's command shirked his duty. When 4,000 New York militia refused to
cross into Canada to attack the foe, the gallant Pennsylvanians under
Tannehill promptly obeyed the order, although not obliged to by the terms
of their enlistment. Among those who were called out for the emergency,
were Capt. Thomas Foster's company of the "detached volunteer
corps." The following in relation to intermediate events is from
official sources:

"August 25 -- Expresses sere sent over the country saying a number of
the enemy's vessels had been seen, and that a descent would be made on
Erie.

"September 4 -- The Governor directed that the State field pieces be
sent to Erie.

"September 15 -- The Secretary of War was notified by the Governor
that Gen. John Kelso had transmitted him a communication, signed by
gentlemen of the first respectability at Erie, requesting that some
efficient measures for the protection of the frontier may be speedily
taken.

"September 16 -- Gen. Kelso was notified that one brass field-piece,
and four four-pounders were on the way to Erie.

"September 18 -- Wilson Smith, of Waterford, was appointed
Quartermaster General of the State.

"October 21 -- Gen. Snyder ordered Gen. Kelso to employ volunteers,
if practicable, for the defense of Erie, not exceeding a Major's
command."

The summer's campaign along the lake was a series of disasters to the
Americans. The surrender of Detroit by Hull, the defeat of Van Rensselaer
at Niagara in October, and the capture of the Adams, the only armed vessel
that had been left to us, gave the British full control upon the lake, and
it became apparent to those who looked at the situation intelligently that
without a fleet to co-operate with our Western and New York armies, the
cause of our country in this direction was hopeless.

A Fleet Arranged For
When Capt. Dobbins reached Erie from his unfortunate trip to Mackinaw, he
found Gen. David Mead, of Meadville, in immediate command of the post.
After spending a few days with his family, he was sent by that officer to
Washington City as a bearer of dispatches, and was the first person who
gave the Government reliable information of the loss of Mackinaw and
Detroit. At a meeting of the Cabinet called immediately after his arrival,
the Captain was asked to give his view of the requirements on Lake Erie.
He earnestly advocated the establishment of a naval station and the
building of a fleet powerful enough to cope with the British upon the
lake. These suggestions were adopted. A Sailing Master's commission in the
navy was tendered to him and accepted, and he was ordered to proceed to
Erie, begin the construction of gunboats, and report to Commodore Chauncey,
at Sackett's Harbor, for further instructions. He returned home, and late
in October commenced work on two gunboats.1

Soon after Dobbins' arrival at Erie, he received a communication from
Lieut. J. D. Elliott, through whom his correspondence with Commodore
Chauncey had to pass, dated at Black Rock, deprecating the adoption of
Erie as the place for building the fleet, alleging that there was not a
sufficient depth of water on the bar to get the vessels out of the harbor
into the lake, and claiming that should there be water the town was
"at all times open to the attacks of the enemy." To this Dobbins
replied that there was "a sufficiency of water on the bar to let the
vessels in the lake, but not a sufficiency to let heavy armed vessels of
the enemy into the bay to destroy them," a conclusion in which he was
signally sustained by later occurrences. Nothing further being heard from
Elliott, Dobbins went to Black Rock, intending to employ skillful ship
carpenters, but only succeeded in finding one, with whom he came back to
Erie, determined to do the best he could with house carpenters and
laborers. The winter was severe and retarded his operations to a provoking
extent.

Commodore Chauncey visited Erie officially about the 1st of January, 1813,
accompanied by a United States naval constructor, and, after approving
what Dobbins had done, ordered him to prepare for the building of two
sloops of war in addition to the gunboats. The keels of these vessels were
ready to lay and much of the timber on hand about the 10th of March, when
a gang of twenty-five carpenters, in charge of Noah Brown, a master ship
builder from New York, reached Erie. In a letter to the Navy Department,
under date of March 14, Dobbins stated that "the gunboats are ready
for calking, and everything looks encouraging in that respect," but
the absence of a sufficient guard led him to fear that his labor might be
destroyed by "the secret incendiary." To obviate this danger as
nearly as he could, a temporary guard was improvised, consisting of Capt.
Forster's voluntary military company, who had got back from Buffalo, and
the workmen at the station. This small force was, for some weeks, the sole
protection for the fleet and the town.

Perry Reaches Erie
The Government had in the meantime assigned the command on Lake Erie to
Lieut. Oliver Hazard Perry, who arrived at Erie on the 27th of March,
accompanied by his brother, a lad of thirteen, making the trip from
Buffalo in a sledge on the ice.2
Perry had served as a midshipman in the war with Tripoli, and had recently
been in charge of a flotilla at Newport, R. I. He was but twenty-seven
years of age, and was full to the brim with energy, enthusiasm and
patriotism. His first step was to provide for the defense of the position.
To that end he sent immediately for Gen. Mead. Their consultation resulted
in a thousand militia being ordered to rendezvous at Erie on or before the
20th of April. Among the number that responded was an artillery company
from Luzerne County, who were authorized to take charge of the four brass
field-pieces belonging to the state, which had been stored at Waterford.
Reese Hill, of Greene County, was constituted Colonel by the Governor, and
given command of the regiment. The old American block-house of 1795, which
had nearly gone to ruins, was hurriedly restored, as was also the one on
the point of the peninsula.

With the facilities of the present day, it is scarcely possible to
conceive of the embarrassment that attended Dobbins and Perry in their
work. Of practical ship-builders there were very few in the country, and
their places had to be taken by house carpenters and blacksmiths gathered
from every part of the lower lake region. The timber for the vessels had
to be cut in the forests near by and used while yet green. Iron was
scarce, and had to be picked up wherever it could be found -- in stores,
warehouses, shops, farm buildings and elsewhere. A considerable stock was
brought from Pittsburgh by flat-boats up French Creek, and some from
Buffalo by small boats creeping along the south shore of the lake. Perry
wrote to Washington that more mechanics were needed, and Dobbins was
dispatched to Black Rock for seamen, arms and ordnance. The transportation
of the latter was extremely slow, owing to the miserable roads. Some of
the cannon were brought up in sail boats, moving at night only, to avoid
the enemy's cruisers.

Fortunately for the American, the Allegheny River and French Creek
continued as a good boating state until August, an occurrence so unusual
that it would seem to imply that Providence was on their side. Had these
streams become low at the ordinary time, the fleet could not have been
rigged in season to meet the enemy under advantageous circumstances.

Sailing Master W. V. Taylor having arrived on the 30th of March with
twenty seamen, he was left in command in the absence of Dobbins, while
Perry proceeded to Pittsburgh to arrange for supplies, and hurry forward a
gang of carpenters who had been promised him from Philadelphia. While
there, he purchased canvas, cables, anchors, and other neccessaries,
[procured four small field-pieces and some muskets, and employed an
ordnance officer to oversee the casting of shot and cannonades. returning
to Erie about the middle of April, by the aid of the land forces he threw
up redoubts on Garrison Hill, and on the bank of the lakes, where the land
light-house stands, built a block house on the bluff overlooking the place
where the sloops of war were building, and constructed another redoubt
above the yard where the gunboats lay upon their stocks. The Lawrence and
Niagara, sloops of war, and the pilot boat Ariel, schooner-rigged, were
built on the beach at the mouth of Cascade run, now occupied by the Erie
& Pittsburgh docks, and the Porcupine and Tigress, gunboats, on a
beach that jutted out from the mouth of Lee's Run, afterward the terminus
of the canal. On the light-house redoubt, two twelve-pounders were placed
that had been forwarded by Dobbins from Black Rock, and the four
field-pieces which Perry had brought on from Pittsburgh were mounted upon
the one on Garrison Hill. The main body of the troops was encamped at the
mouth of Cascade Run. Carpenters, blacksmiths, sail makers, riggers, and
other workmen soon came on from New York and Philadelphia, infusing new
energy into the operations, and from this time forward matters were more
encouraging. It would appear that the call for the militia to report was
not obeyed with alacrity, for we learn from official sources that on the
18th of May complaint was made to the Governor by Gen. Mead that some of
the men had refused obedience to his orders.

The First Step To Victory
Perry departed in a four-oared boat, on the evening of the 23d of May, to
participate in the contemplated attack on the Canadian Fort George, at the
foot of the Niagara River, in which he was to lead the seamen and marines.
He took Dobbins with him as far as Fort Schlosser, at the head of the
Niagara Rapids, on the American side, where a detachment of officers and
men arrived on the 28th, fresh from the capture of the first-named
fortification on the previous day. Perry, who had borne a gallant part in
the fight, proceeded thence to Black Rock, while Dobbins escorted the
detachment to the same place. Their defeat at Fort George compelled the
British to abandon the Niagara frontier, and afforded an opportunity to
get the vessels up to Erie that had been purchased and prepared for war by
the Government, and which had been blockaded in Gonjaquades Creek by the
batteries of the enemy on the opposite shore. These consisted of the brig
Caledonia, the sloop Trippe, and the schooners Ohio, Amelia and Somers,
five in all. They were drawn up the rapids by ox teams, assisted by some
two hundred men, including the detachment of Dobbins and a detail for the
purpose from Gen. Dearborn's army, an operation that required six days of
hard work. The soldiers, by Perry's request, were allowed to remain on
board to assist in navigation and defense on the way to erie. The British
fleet, consisting of five vessels much superior to the American squadron,
were cruising the lake, and the utmost vigilance was necessary to elude
them. By good fortune, Perry reached Erie on the morning of June 17,
having sailed from Buffalo on the 13th, and being detained on the way by
head-winds, without having been seen by the British. How narrow an escape
the Americans made will be understood when it is stated that while they
lay in the offing at Dunkirk, a man came on board who notified Perry that
the British had been at anchor off Twenty mile Creek the night before, and
that from a neck of land which jutted into the lake he had both fleets in
sight at the same time. The British rendezvous at the lower end of the
lake was usually in Mohawk Bay, on the Canada side, where they could
readily watch the movements of the Americans. They felt sure of nabbing
Perry's squadron on its upward voyage, and when they learned that they had
been given the slip, were extremely surprised and mortified.3
Safely Concentrated
The entire fleet with which Perry was expected to humble British pride on
the lake was now concentrated in the harbor of Erie. It consisted of the
Lawrence and Niagara, both sloops of war, built after the same model,
being 100 feet straight rabbit, 100 feet between perpendiculars, 30 feet
beam, 9 feet hold, flush deck, and pierced for 20 guns, with two stern
ports; the schooners Ariel and Scorpion, each of 63 tons; the Porcupine
and Tigress of about 50 tons; the British brig Caledonia, which had been
taken by Lieut. Elliott from under the guns of Fort Erie, of 85 tons; the
sloop Trippe, of 63 tons, and the schooners Amelia, Somers and Ohio, of
72, 65 and 62 tons respectively. Considering the national importance of
the victory gained, the size of these vessels, compared with the war
vessels of this day, seems absurdly small. The Lawrence and Niagara,
however, were immense vessels for the time. They had been given a shallow
depth of hold by Mr. Brown, the master builder, so as to secure a light
draught of water and avoid showing a high side to the enemy's marksmen.

"The frames of all the vessels built at Erie were of white and black
oak and chestnut, the outside planking was of oak and the decks were of
pine."

Though stoutly put together, there was no attempt at ornament, Mr. Brown
having prophetically remarked: "Plain work is all that is required;
they will only be wanted for one battle. If we win, that is all that will
be wanted of them; if we lose, they are good enough to be captured.: The
Lawrence was named after the heroic Capt. James Lawrence, who was killed
in the encounter between the Chesapeake and Shannon, and whose last words,
"Don't give up the ship," were inscribed by Perry on his
fighting flag. One of the schooners brought up from Black Rock, the
Amelia, was condemned as worthless and sunk in the harbor. The Porcupine
and Tigress, which had been launched about the 15th of June, were now
equipped, and, with the other boats, sailed to the vicinity of Cascade Run
to defend the sloops of war, which still remained on the stocks, in case
of an attack. The Lawrence was launched on or about the 25th of June, and
the Niagara on the 4th of July.

The essential business now was to man the vessels. Up to the 25th of June
something like a 150 men and officers had arrived for service on the fleet
of whom many were on the sick list.4
To make the situation more perplexing, the 200 soldiers of Dearborn's
command who had come from Black Rock and whom Perry desired to retain as
marines, were ordered to return, and actually did leave in small boats,
with the exception of Capt. Brevoort, who had seen service upon the lake
in command of the United States brig Adams. While thus embarrassed, the
Navy Department was constantly urging Perry to expedite matters in order
that he might act with Gen. Harrison, who led the Western army in a
combined move by land and water against the enemy. After many urgent
appeals for men, the welcome tidings came, about the middle of July, that
a draft had been forwarded. Mr. Dobbins, who possessed the whole
confidence of Perry, was again dispatched to Buffalo to bring them on.
They reached Erie in boats collected in Buffalo creek, on or about the
25th of July. About this date, Perry received word from Gen. Harrison that
the British would launch their new ship, the Detroit, in a few days. This
added to his anxiety, as the Detroit would be more than equal to any
single vessel of his fleet, and he redoubled his energies in the hope of
getting out and meeting the enemy before they could have her powerful aid.

The Government made a grave mistake in not giving Perry an independent
command, instead of obliging his to act under the instructions of
Commodore Chauncey, who was hundreds of miles away, and in not investing
him with full power, and granting him ample means to prosecute his
purposes to the utmost of his skill and energy. Had this been done, the
fleet would have been ready to sail two months before it did, the risk of
fighting a superior vessel like the Detroit would have been avoided, Perry
and Harrison could have co-operated at an earlier date, the British would
have been compelled to abandon the frontier, and the war in the West would
have ended long before it did, at a great saving of life and money. It is
not generally known that at one period Perry's pathetic calls for
re-enforcements drew from Commodore Chauncey a sarcastic letter, which led
the former to ask to be "detached from the command on Lake
Erie," for the reason that it was unpleasant to serve under a
superior who had so little regard for his feelings. This brought back an
appeal to his patriotism from the department, and the matter was
eventually arranged so that kindly relations were restored between
Chauncey and Perry.

Menaces of the Enemy
It must not be supposed that the construction and equipment of Perry's
fleet was allowed to progress in Erie Harbor without an endeavor to check
them by the enemy. The latter anchored in the roadstead several times, and
would have entered the bay but for the shallow water on the bar, thus
confirming Capt. Dobbins' argument to Lieut. Elliott. Sometimes the Queen
Charlotte, the British flagship, would appear alone, and at others the
whole squadron. On the 15th of May, the wildest alarm was created by a
false report that 600 or 700 British and Indians had landed on the
peninsula under cover of a thick fog, and got off again without being seen
by the American forces. July 19, six of the enemy's vessels were in sight
outside the harbor, where they lay becalmed for two days. Perry went with
three gunboats to attack them, and a few shots were exchanged at a mile's
distance. A breeze springing up, the enemy sailed away, evidently desiring
to avoid a fight. All this time the meager land force at Erie was kept
busy parading the bank of the lake, to give the impression to the enemy of
a much larger army than was really the case. Perry does not seem to have
had an apprehension at any time of danger from the British while his fleet
lay in the harbor. He knew that the enemy's vessels could not cross the
bar with their heavy armament, and he informed the department that even if
a force should land and capture the village, he could easily defend the
fleet from its anchorage in the bay.

The troubles experienced by Perry were shared, to some extent, by the
officers of the land forces. The State Archives contain a letter sent by
Gov. Snyder to Col. John Phillips, paymaster of Col. Hill's regiment, in
which he regrets that no provision had been made for paying the
Pennsylvania militia then in service at Erie, and that it could not be
remedied by any constituted State authority. On the 2d of August, the
Governor's Secretary wrote that some men in Mead's division had at first
refused to obey orders, but subsequently marched to the defense of Erie.
The difficulty about the pay of the troops seems to have been at least
partially arranged, for, on the 16th of August, we find that Wilson Smith
was appointed paymaster of the militia called into service by Gen. Mead
for the defense of Erie, before the arrival of Col. Hill's command, and
that a warrant for $2,500 had been forwarded to him. This gentleman had
previously been Quartermaster General of the State. On the 27th of August,
Brigade Inspector Clark reported that upward of sixteen hundred men had
rendezvoused at Erie in pursuance of the more recent orders of Gen. Mead.
So little has been preserved in regard to the land operations of the day,
that any account of them must necessarily be brief and disconnected.

Getting Over the Bar
Meanwhile Perry had received one hundred landsmen from the militia, and
enlisted some forty marines, making a total force of about three hundred.
On Sunday, the 1st of August, the vessels were moved to the mouth of the
bay, then free from piers, and preparations were made for getting them
over the bar and for defending them in case of an attack while the
operation was in progress. Gen. Mead and staff visited Perry in the
afternoon of the same day, and the latter took occasion to thank the
commander of the land forces for the valuable assistance he had rendered
him. The guns, ballast and other heavy material were removed from the
Lawrence to the sand beach, being so adjusted as to be readily replaced,
and the ship was lifted over the bar by the aid of "camels"
invented by Mr. Brown. One "camel" was floated on each side of
the Lawrence and sunk to the level of the port holes. Timbers were thrust
through, on which the vessel rested, the plugs were re-inserted in the
bottoms of the "camels," and the water was pumped out of them,
raising the Lawrence as it was discharged. This proceeding was
considerably delayed by an unfavorable wind, and it was not until the
morning of the 4th, after two nights and days of wearisome labor, that the
Lawrence was floated to her anchorage in the roadstead. The Niagara was
lifted over by the same process a few days after, the smaller vessels
crossing without serious trouble.

Before the work of moving the Niagara over the bar was completed, the
enemy appeared early one morning, and hove to about eight miles out for
the purpose of reconnoitering. Fearing they might attack him while in this
position, Perry made hasty arrangements for defense, purposing, if
necessary, to run the Lawrence ashore under the guns of the redoubts on
the light-house grounds and Garrison Hill.For some reason, after looking
over the situation for an hour or so, the British bore up and stood across
the lake. The efforts to get the Niagara across the bar were redoubled,
and the Ariel and Scorpion were sent to follow the course of the enemy,
her commander reporting on his return that they had gone to Long Point.
From there, after landing a carrier to notify the commander of the British
land forces of what had been discovered, they bore up the lake for Detroit
River. The Niagara was got afloat in the open lake the day after the enemy
left. It is a part of the tradition of the time that when the British
squadron was at Port Dover, a complimentary dinner was given to her
officers, at which Commodore Barclay, in response to a toast, said:
"I expect to find the Yankee brigs hard and fast aground on the bar
at Erie, in which predicament it will be but a short job to destroy
them" The enemy were at this time endeavoring to concentrate an army
at Port Dover, to act in conjunction with the fleet in a move upon Erie,
but failed because the troops could not be got up in season.

The First Cruise
Smarting under the frequent complaints of delay from official quarters,
Perry resolved to make a cruise rather than wait for re-enforcements, in
the hope that he might encounter the foe before the Detroit could be made
ready for service. He set sail at 4 o'clock on the morning of the 6th of
August, with all the vessels of the fleet except the Ohio and Trippe,
which were left behind for want of crews. A cruise was made to Long Point
and the mainland near by, and nothing being seen of the British, the fleet
returned to Erie on the 6th. On the 9th, to the joy of all, the little
band of volunteers was joined by Lieut. Elliott5
with some officers and ninety men, most of whom were experienced sailors.
The squadron, though still lacking a proper equipment, was now thought to
be ready for active service, and, on the morning of the 12th of August
sailed up the lake in search of the enemy. A dinner was given to Perry,
just before his departure, by the citizens of Erie, at which he expressed
a desire to return a victor or in his shroud. The fleet consisted of nine
vessels, officered and armed as follows: Flagship Lawrence, Master,
Commander Perry, eighteen 32-pounder carronades and two long 12-pounders;
Niagara, Master, Commander Elliott, the same armament; Caledonia, Purser
Magrath, three long 12-pounders; Ariel, Lieut. John Packett,6
four long 12-pounders; Trippe, Lieut. Smith, one long 32-pounder; Tigress,
Lieut. Conklin, one long 32-pounder; Somers, Sailing Master Almy, one long
24 and one long 12-pounder; Scorpion,7
Sailing Master Champlin, same armament; Ohio, Sailing Master Dobbins, one
long 24-pounder; and Porcupine, Midshipman Senat, one long 32-pounder. In
explanation of the change of Perry's and Elliott's titles, it should be
stated that commissions had been received shortly before their departure
granting both of them promotions. Most of the officers were young men --
the average ages of the commissioned ones being less than twenty-three,
and of the warrant officers less than twenty years. With very few
exceptions, they had no acquaintance with the navigation of the lakes.

Challenging to Fight
On the 17th, the squadron anchored of Sandusky, where Perry notified Gen.
Harrison of their presence, and was invited on board the Lawrence the next
day by that officer, attended by his staff and accompanied by some twenty
Indian chiefs, who were taken on board that they might report the wonders
they had seen and be deterred from joining the enemy. The astonishment and
alarm of the red men when the salute was fired in honor of Gen. Harrison
is said to have ben indescribably comical.

Eight days later the fleet sailed to the head of the lake and discovered
the British at anchor in the mouth of Detroit River; but failing to draw
them out, returned to Put-in-Bay. On the 31st a re-enforcement of fifty
volunteers was received, making a total muster roll of 470. Most of the
new men were Kentuckians who had experience as watermen on the western and
southern rivers, and they proved to be a valuable acquisition. About this
juncture, however, there was much biliousness and dysentery in the
squadron, principally among those from the seaboard, caused by the change
from salt to fresh water. Among the number who were taken down was Perry
himself, who was unable to perform active service for a week. As soon as
he could take the deck again, he sailed for the second time to the mouth
of the river, where it was learned that the new British ship was ready for
duty. Failing to draw the enemy from his anchorage, Perry returned to
Sandusky and renewed his communication with Gen. Harrison. Here the
command of the Trippe was transferred to Lieut. Holdup8
and that of the Caledonia to Lieut. Turner, while Mr. Dobbins was ordered
to Erie with the Ohio "for the purpose of taking on board provisions
and other articles." The latter hastened back to find that the pork
and beef left on board the fleet had become putrid on account of the
carelessness of the contractors, and was immediately ordered to Erie again
for a fresh stock. The battle took place while the Ohio was at anchor in
the harbor of Erie, much to the regret of Mr. Dobbins and his gallant
crew, who had to submit to some unjust criticism for what was not fault of
their own. They distinctly heard the firing on the 10th of September.

Preparing For Battle
On the 6th of September, the entire American fleet, with the exception of
the Ohio, was anchored in Put-in-Bay. Believing that the crisis was near
at hand, Perry, on the evening of the 7th, summoned his officers on board
the Lawrence, announced his plan of battle, produced his fighting flag --
containing the words, "Don't give up the ship" -- arranged a
code of signals, and issued his final instructions. On the 10th, at the
rising of the sun, the lookout shouted the thrilling words, "Sail,
ho!" and the men of the squadron, who were almost instantly astir,
soon saw the British vessels, six in number, rise above the horizon. Still
feeble from sickness as he was, Perry gave the signal immediately to get
under way, adding that he was "determined to fight the enemy that
day." Approaching the British vessels near enough to arrange his
line, he brought forth his battle flag, and, mounting a gun-slide, said to
his men as he pointed to the inscription: "Those were the last words
of the gallant Lawrence, after whom this vessel was named." Then,
pausing a moment, he exclaimed, "Shall I hoist it?" The response
was a unanimous "Aye, aye, sir," and as the folds were spread to
the breeze six hearty cheers were given by the crew, which was taken up on
board the other vessels until one continuous cheer was heard along the
line.9 Grog and
lunch were then served, the decks were sprinkled with sand, and
preparations were made for taking care of the dead and wounded. Perry
visited every part of the Lawrence, inspecting the guns and cheering the
men by pleasant words. The lake was quite smooth and it was an hour and a
half from the time the line of battle was formed until the first shot was
fired. This period of terrible suspense was spent in friendly interchange
among the officers and men, in farewell handshakes and the promise of
kindly acts in case of death. At a quarter before 12 o'clock, when the
Detroit and Lawrence were still more than a mile apart, the sound of a
bugle was heard on the British flagship, followed by cheers along their
line, the band struck up "Rule Britannia," and, in a moment
after the music ceased, a shot was thrown at the Lawrence which fell
short. In a few minutes a second shot was fired from the Detroit, which
struck the Lawrence seeing which Perry's vessel became the target for all
the long guns of the enemy. The first gun on the American side, by order
of Perry, was fired from the Scorpion and the second from the Ariel.10

Brief Account of the Victory
The purpose of this sketch being to deal with the subject mainly in its
local bearings, no attempt will be made to give a minute account of the
action, which has been graphically described by several of the most
eminent writers of the country, and in an especially eloquent manner by J.
Fennimore Cooper, the novelist. It is enough to say that, through some
cause, the real nature of which has been hotly discussed, the Niagara did
not engage the enemy at close quarters, and the battle, for a time, was
maintained "by the Lawrence, Caledonia, Scorpion and Ariel, against
the whole British squadron, assisted only by the long twelves of the
Niagara, and the distant, rambling shots from the headmost gunboats."
The Lawrence for two hours sustained the fire of the two heaviest British
vessels, as well as some stray shots from the others, "until every
gun was dismounted, two-thirds of her crew killed or wounded, and the ship
so badly cut up aloft as to be unmanageable." In this critical
situation, Perry took his fighting flag under his arm and passed in a row
boat, accompanied by his brother and four men, to the Niagara, which was
making an effort to gain the head of the enemy's line. The British felt
sure that the day was their's and sent up a cheer. On boarding the
Niagara, Perry, who had stood erect in the boat the whole way, was met
cordially by Elliott, who offered and was ordered to bring the gunboats
into close action, while the former assumed command of the vessel. The
gunboats being well up, and the Caledonia in good position, the signal to
break through the British line was shown from the Niagara at 2:45 in the
afternoon. The fire of the Niagara was reserved until she got abreast of
the Detroit, when she poured her starboard at pistol shot into that vessel
and the Queen Charlotte, while with the port broadside she sent a storm of
ball into the Lady Prevost and Chippewa. The Caledonia and the gunboats
followed close behind, dealing death on both sides, and, the Detroit
having fouled with the Queen Charlotte, neither vessel was able to reply.
After passing through the British line, the Niagara rounded to under their
lee, and sent one broadside after another into the entangled vessels,
causing such fearful damage that in fifteen minutes from the time she bore
up a white handkerchief was waved from the Queen Charlotte as a symbol of
submission, shortly succeeded by one from the Detroit. The firing ceased
almost instantly, after a struggle of almost three hours' duration. Two of
the smaller British vessels undertook to escape, but were brought back by
the Scorpion and Trippe. When the smoke of battle cleared away, the two
squadrons were found to be intermingled, with the exception of the
shattered Lawrence, which was drifting with the wind some distance to the
eastward. As the shout of victory went up, her flag, which had been struck
after Perry left, was again hoisted to the masthead by the remaining few
of her crew who were able to witness the triumph of their comrades. Perry
sat down as soon as the firing had ceased and wrote on the back of an old
letter this modest and memorable epistle to Gen. Harrison:

United
States Steamship Niagara, September 10, 4 P.M.

Dear
General: We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two
brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. Yours
with great respect and esteem.

O.
H. Perry

To the Secretary of the navy he messaged: "It has pleased the
Almighty to give the United States a signal victory on this lake,"
detailing the number of captured vessels. These brief dispatches were
forwarded by schooner to Gen. Harrison, then at the mouth of Portage
River, distant some twelve miles.

Taking all the
circumstances into consideration, the victory of Perry was one of the
proudest in naval annals. The Americans had the most vessels, but the
British had the superiority in guns, their number being sixty-three to our
fifty-four. The men engaged were about equal in number, but the British
marines were veterans while our were chiefly raw volunteers. The
difference in favor of the British was still more striking when we compare
the experience of the officers, their commander having served with Nelson
at Trafalgar, and most of his subordinates having been trained to warlike
duties, while Perry had never seen an engagement and his associates,
except two or three, knew very little of real service. When to the above
it is added that quite one-fifth of the Americans were on the sick list --
the roll of the Lawrence showing thirty-one and of the Niagara
twenty-eight unfit for action on the morning of the battle -- while the
British were generally in good health, the triumph of the Americans is
still more surprising.

After The Battle
About 4 P. M., Perry returned to the Lawrence in order that the remnant of
her crew might witness the formal surrender. He was met at the gangway by
those who were able to be about, but there were no cheers, no outbursts of
delight -- "not a word could find utterance." The young
commander now threw off the round jacket he had worn during the fight and
resumed his undress uniform in order to meet the officers of the captured
vessels, who came on board and presented their swords, but were allowed to
retain their side arms. When Lieut. O'Keefe handed him the sword of Capt.
Barclay, the British commander, who was too severely wounded to appear in
person, Perry inquired kindly about him and the rest of the enemy's
wounded, tendering in a manly spirit every assistance within his reach.
During the evening, he visited Capt. Barclay on board the Detroit, and
re-iterated his sympathy. Referring to his own escape, he said to Purser
Hamilton, "The prayers of my wife have prevailed in saving me."

The captured squadron consisted of the Detroit, Queen Charlotte, Lady
Prevost, Chippewa, Hunter and Little Belt, the first two being badly cut
up in their hulls, the third having her rudder shot away, and the others
being but slightly damaged. The killed were forty-one and the wounded
ninety-four, being more than one in four of the men engaged. Among the
killed were Capt. Finnis and Lieut. Gordon, of the Queen Charlotte, and
among the severely wounded, besides Capt. Barclay, were First Lieut.
Garland and Purser Hoffmeister on the Detroit. A number of Indians were on
board the Detroit as sharp-shooters, and upon inquiry being made for them
by an American officer, a search was started and they were found in hiding
below. Being brought on deck, they were asked how they liked the sport,
and one replied: "No more come with one armed Captain (Barclay) in
big canoe -- shoot big gun too much. American much big fight."

The casualties on the American side were as follows: Lawrence, killed, 21;
wounded, 61; Niagara, killed, 2; wounded, 25; Caledonia, wounded, 3;
Somers, wounded, 2; Ariel, killed, 1, wounded, 3; Trippe, wounded, 2;
Scorpion, killed, 1, wounded, 1 -- a total of 27 killed and 96 wounded. On
board the Porcupine and Tigress not a soul was injured. The most prominent
Americans killed were: Lieut. Brooks, commanding the marines of the
Lawrence; and of the wounded, First Lieut. Yarnall, Second Lieut. Forest,
Sailing Master Taylor and Purser Hamilton on the Lawrence, and First
Lieut. Edward and Acting Master Webster of the Niagara. After the battle,
Perry inquired with some anxiety about his little brother Alexander. He
was found sound asleep in his berth, exhausted with the fatigues and
excitement of the day.

At nightfall, the dead marines and seamen of Perry's squadron were lashed
up in their hammocks, with a thirty-two pound shot attached in each case
to anchor them, and consigned to the bottom of the lake, all the surviving
officers and men who were able to be on deck acting as witnesses to the
burial, which was conducted by the chaplain according to the impressive
form of the Episcopal Church. On the larger British vessels, the killed in
action had been thrown overboard as soon as life was extinct, but those on
the smaller ones were deposited in the water in the same manner as the
Americans. The Lawrence being a complete wreck, Perry adopted the Ariel as
his flagship, and on the morning of the 11th the two squadrons sailed for
Put-in-Bay, where they arrived about noon, and anchored. On the morning of
the 12th, the dead officers of both crews were interred on shore, the
funeral procession marching in twos, alternately British and American, to
the music of the bands of both squadrons. The Ohio, Dobbins' vessel,
reached Put-in-Bay on the 13th, with a welcome supply of provisions, and
soon after a boat each from Cleveland and Sandusky came with fresh meat
and vegetables, which added much to the comfort of the wounded. Those of
the prisoners who were able to travel were turned over to Gen. Harrison,
who forwarded them to Chillicothe, Ohio, while the badly wounded were put
on board the Lawrence, which had been sufficiently repaired for the
purpose, and brought to Erie, reaching here on the 23d, thirteen days
after the battle. The citizens of Erie vied with each other in showing
them every attention, no discrimination being made between friend and foe.
The court house was used as a hospital, Dr. Usher Parsons, Surgeon of the
Lawrence, and Dr. John C. Wallace being the physicians in charge. A few
who could not be suitably cared for were sent to Waterford, then almost as
large a place as Erie. Only three of the wounded died after the action.

Victories On Land
The Americans being now in absolute control of the lake, Perry and
Harrison commenced instant preparations to retrieve the disasters to our
cause on the frontier. Harrison's army, which had received large
accessions of volunteers, was mainly transported on the serviceable
vessels of the two fleets to the Canadian shore near the head of the lake.
The British abandoned Malden, retreating up the Detroit River, followed by
our army and squadron. At Sandwich, finding he could be of no direct
service on the water, Perry volunteered as an Aide to Harrison. The battle
of the Thames, the defeat of Proctor and the death of Tecumseh followed,
wiping out all armed resistance in that quarter and leaving the western
part of Canada in the quiet possession of the Americans. The Indian allies
of the British were humbled, and unbroken peace prevailed in all the
country west of Pennsylvania. Some of the vessels of the squadron were
used to transport such portions of the army as had not been disbanded, to
the Niagara frontier, while others remained in charge of Gen. Cass,
Governor of Michigan, to be used in carrying supplies for the western
posts.
Perry's Return To Erie
At Detroit, Perry received a letter from the Secretary of the Navy
promoting him to the rank of Post Captain, dating from the 10th of
September, granting him leave of absence to visit his family, and
assigning him to command at Newport until a suitable ship should be
provided for him. Taking Harrison and his staff, who had been ordered to
Fort George, on board the Ariel, he sailed for Erie, where the Niagara was
ordered to meet him. At Put-in-Bay, he stopped to meet Barclay, whom he
found much improved, and to whom he communicated the good news that he had
secured a parole for him to go home to England. The British commander and
his attending Surgeon were invited to join the party, and willingly
accepted. The Ariel, with her distinguished passengers, arrived at Erie on
the morning of the 22d of October, where Perry was destined to be
disappointed in his expressed hope that he might be able to land without
any demonstration. As the vessel appeared off the point of the peninsula,
two field pieces greeted her with a national salute. A large delegation of
citizens met Perry at the foot of French street, escorted him and his
party to Duncan's Hotel at the corner of Third and French streets, and
almost smothered him with congratulations. In the evening, the town was
illuminated and a torch-light procession paraded the streets. Ever
thoughtful and magnanimous, Perry had requested that no noise or display
should be made near the hotel to annoy the wounded Commodore, a desire
that was courteously complied with.11
The Niagara arrived at Erie the afternoon of the same day as the Ariel.
The forenoon of the 23d Perry employed in a visit to the Lawrence, which
lay at anchor in Misery Bay, and in the afternoon he sailed for Buffalo,
accompanied by Harrison and Barclay. Reaching that place on the 24th, he
turned over the command on the Upper Lakes to Elliott, and journeyed
eastward by land "amid a blaze of rejoicing" to his Rhode Island
home.

The battle of Lake Erie raised Perry from obscurity to world-wide renown.
Congress passed a vote of thanks to him and his officers and men, and
bestowed gold medals upon both Perry and Elliott. President Madison, in
his message some time after, referred to the victory as one "never
surpassed in luster." The thanks of the General Assembly of
Pennsylvania were voted to Perry and Elliott, gold medals were ordered for
both, and silver medals for those citizens of the State who served on
board the squadron. In addition to these honors, the General Government
granted silver medals and swords to the other living officers, a medal and
sword to the nearest male relative of each of the dead commissioned
officers, and three months' pay to all the petty officers, seamen, marines
and infantry who fought on board the fleet. The British vessels were
prized at $255,000, of which $12,750 went to Commodore Chauncey, $7,140
apiece to both Perry and Elliott, $2,295 to each Commander of a gunboat,
Lieutenant, Sailing Master, and Captain of Marines, $811 to each
midshipman, $447 to each petty officer, and $209 to each marine and
sailor. Congress made a special grant of $5,000 to Perry to make up for a
defect in the law which excluded him from a portion of the prize money for
his special command, making a total of $12,000, which was quite a fortune
for those days.

Perry never returned to the scenes of his youthful trials and triumphs.
After a suitable period of rest, "he was placed in command of the
Java, a first-class frigate, and sailed to the Mediterranean. Returning,
he was sent with a small squadron to the West Indies. While there, he was
attached by yellow fever, and died on the anniversary of his birthday
(August 23), at the early age of thirty-four. His remains were buried at
Port Spain, Trinidad, where they rested until 1826, when they were moved
in a sloop-of-war to Newport, R. I., and re-interred with great ceremony.
The State of Rhode Island erected a granite monument to his memory."

The Winter of 1813-14
The season being well advanced, Elliott ordered the vessels into winter
quarters -- the Ariel and Chippewa going to Buffalo, where they were
driven ashore and went to pieces; the Trippe and Little Belt to Black
Rock, where they were burned by the British when they crossed over to
Buffalo, and the balance of the squadron to Erie. Those in our harbor were
moored in Misery Bay, where preparations were made for their defense, a
rumor being current that the British, in revenge for their defeats, were
planning an expedition to cross the ice and destroy the shipping and
village. Among the fortifications provided at this time were two
block-houses -- one on Garrison Hill, and the other on the tongue of land
between Misery Bay and the bay proper. The first of these was burned in
1832, and the second in October, 1853, the fires in both cases being
charged to incendiaries.

To return to the land forces: We find in the State Archives, under date of
September 20, 1813, mention made by the Governor's Secretary of the men
who had been called out by Col. Wallace, stating that the call was not
authorized by law, and the expenses incurred could only be paid by special
act of the Legislature. This has reference, probably, to the militia who
came for the protection of the fleet just before it sailed up the lake. On
the 30th of December, word reached Erie that an army of British and
Indians had landed at Black Rock, forced our army to retreat, burned the
villages of Black Rock and Buffalo, captured and destroyed the Government
vessels, and, flushed with triumph, were advancing up the lake for the
purpose of capturing Erie. The most terrifying rumors were put in
circulation, and the excitement ran so high that many citizens removed
their families and effects to the interior. The troops at Erie only
numbered 2,000 men, while the hostile force was reported at 3,000. The
first brigade of Gen. Mead's command was ordered into service, and came
together hurriedly, increasing the defensive force to about 4,000.
Happily, the alarm proved to be false, but one delusive report came after
another so fast that a considerable body of troops was kept at Erie during
most of the winter. Many of these men were substitutes, and all were
poorly furnished with arms and equipment. The principal camp was just
north of the First Presbyterian Church, where the ground was covered with
low log barracks, most of which burned down soon after they were
abandoned. The records show that the Erie County militia were ordered out
on the 3d of January, 1814, and discharged on the ensuing 7th of February.
On the 10th of January, the Governor notified the Secretary of War that a
portion of Mead's command had been ordered out, and suggested that as they
had rendered almost unremitting service during the past eighteen months,
it would be nothing more than just to relieve them by "militia drawn
from sections that had hitherto been excused by reason of their remoteness
from the seat of war." A letter was received by the Governor on the
18th of January from Gen. Mead, reciting that when Perry was ready to sail
he was deficient in men; that he requested him to induce some of his
troops to volunteer for service on the vessels, which one hundred did, and
that he promised they should receive pay as militiamen upon their return.
To fulfill his pledge, the General borrowed $500, which he asked to have
refunded. On the 18th of January, 1,000 militia fromCumberland and
adjoining counties were ordered to rendezvous at Erie by the 9th of March,
N. B. Boileau being appointed their Colonel commandant. February 1, Gen.
Mead was directed to retain his detachment in service until the arrival of
the above troops. A letter from the Governor's Secretary, of the date of
February 17, refers to Gen. Mead's complaints that the troops of his
command had not been paid on the 3d of March. Gov. Snyder wrote to Gen.
Mead in reference to a requisition upon him by Maj. Martin, of the regular
army, for 2,000 men to defend Erie and the fleet, arguing that it was
unnecessary, and refusing to give him assent.

A Fatal Duel
The winter was one of intense excitement in consequence of the frequent
false alarms and the presence of so large a number of idle men. The prize
money distributed among the fleet led to much dissipation. The main topic
of discussion, when matters were sufficiently quiet to allow of
controversy, related to the respective merits of Perry and Elliott, many
freely charging the latter with poltroonery during the battle of September
10, while others, and especially the officers and crew of the Niagara,
defended him as a brave man, who had been the victim of adverse
circumstances.

A duel growing out of one of these disputes took place near the corner of
Third and Sassafras streets, between Midshipman Senat, who commanded the
Porcupine during the fight, and Acting Master McDonald, resulting in the
death of the former. Of this encounter, Capt. N. W. Russell wrote as
follows to the Erie Dispatch:

"William Hoskinson, then a good sized boy, witnessed it. It occurred
on or near the situation of a dwelling belonging to Gideon J. Ball, in
which he formerly lived, corner of Third and Sassafras streets. Encircled
by trees, without human habitation in the immediate vicinity, it was a
fitting spot for such a meeting and such a scene. The principals were navy
officers, named Senat and McDonald, who had quarreled while engaged in
card-playing, and who agreed to settle the difficulty in the manner
indicated. Pistols were the chosen weapons, and Lieutenant Montgomery and
Dr. John C. Wallace the seconds, the former representing Senat, and the
latter McDonald. Quietly conducted, only a small number of invited friends
assembled on the occasion, William Hoskinson having accidentally seen the
gathering and gone to the place under the influence of a spirit of
juvenile curiosity. Senat fell mortally wounded by the first fire.
McDonald at once fled, thereby escaping arrest and punishment. It was said
of him that he had fought several duels, with a result each time similar
to that realized in this case. Senat's engagement to an Erie lady added to
the interest and painfulness of the tragedy."

The following correspondence passed between Elliott and Perry in
consequence of the damaging reports against the former officer:

United
States Brig Niagara, Put in Bay, September 17, 1813.

Sir -- I am
informed a report has been circulated by some malicious person,
prejudicial to my vessel when engaged with the enemy's fleet. I
will thank you if you will with candor state to me the conduct of
myself, officers and crew.

Respectfully
your obedient servant,

Capt.
Perry

Jesse D.
Elliott.

United States
Schooner Ariel, Put in Bay, September 18, 1813.

My
Dear Sir -- I received your not last evening after I had turned
in, or I should have answered it immediately. I am indignant that
any report should be circulated as prejudicial to your character
as respects the action of the 10th. It affords me great pleasure
to assure you that the conduct of yourself, officers and crew was
such as to meet my warmest approbation; and I consider the
circumstances of your volunteering and bringing the small vessels
into close action, as contributing largely to the victory. I shall
ever believe it a premeditated plan to destroy our commanding
vessel. I have no doubt had not the Queen Charlotte have run from
the Niagara, from the superior order I observed her in, you would
have taken her in twenty minutes.

With
sentiments of esteem, I am, dear sir, your friend and obedient
servant,

Capt.
Elliott.

O.
H. Perry.

The Campaign of 1814
As soon as the ice was out of the lake, Elliott sent Dobbins on a cruise
between Erie and Long Point, to obtain information of the enemy's
movements and intercept any supplies that might be going by water.12

In April, the Lake Erie squadron was made a separate command, Elliott, at
his own request, being ordered to Lake Ontario, and being succeeded by
Capt. Arthur Sinclair. An expedition against Mackinaw was planned. The
Lawrence and Niagara were rendered seaworthy, the Detroit and Queen
Charlotte were brought from Put-in-Bay to Erie, and the squadron sailed
for the upper lakes on the 25th of June, taking on 600 troops at Detroit
and 500 at Fort Gratiot. Reaching Mackinaw, and finding it well defended
by the British, a force was landed on the east side of the island. Their
attack was repulsed, one general officer on the American side being
killed, and the expedition returned to Erie with the exception of the
Scorpion and Tigress. These vessels were surprised and captured at the
lower end of Lake Huron, by a body of British and Indians, who boarded
them in boats at night. Sinclair left the Lawrence, which was in bad
condition, at Erie, and with the balance of the squadron conveyed a
portion of the troops to Buffalo. Remaining there a few days, he suddenly
came back to Erie, leaving the Somers and Ohio, from which Dobbins had
been detached, at the lower end of the lake. Shortly afterward, these
vessels, while lying at anchor at Fort Erie, were boarded at night, and
captured by a British party, making six that were destroyed by the enemy
after the battle.

Here close the features of the war that are of special interest to the
people of Erie County. The militia seem to have been dismissed in the
spring, though there must have been an attempt to keep them ready for
service, as we learn that two or three hundred men attended a battalion
drill, May 18, at Martin Strong's. The fears for the safety of Erie do not
appear to have subsided, for reference is made to the subject in a letter
from the Governor, of August 3, to Com. Kennedy, who succeeded Sinclair in
command of the squadron. There is nothing to show that the fleet rendered
any service of consequence afterward. A treaty of peace was concluded at
Ghent on the 24th of December, 1814, ratified by the Senate on the 17th of
February succeeding, and joyfully welcomed by the people of both nations.

Incidents of the War
There were few able-bodied male residents of the county who were not
obliged to serve in the militia at some time during the war. The alarms
were sent over the country by runners, who went from house to house
stirring up the inhabitants. It happened more than once that whole
townships were nearly depopulated by their male citizens. One Sunday the
news that Erie was in danger of attack reached Mercer while Rev. Mr. Tait
was preaching in the court house. The sermon was stopped, the thrilling
tidings announced from the pulpit, the congregation dismissed, and
preparations begun for marching to the lake. Many jokes were perpetrated
at the expense of the timid. On a certain night while the fleet was
building, some wags removed the swivel belonging to Gen. Kelso to the foot
of French street, loaded it with powder, affixed a trail to the
touch-hole, and set it off when they had got away to a safe distance. The
explosion aroused every person in the town, the word was quickly passed
that the dreaded foe had come at lase, the women, children and valuables
were sent into the back country, and for awhile there was the wildest
state of agitation. On another occasion, three bombs were fired off as a
joke near the same place, with almost similar results. At a later period,
a party returned from the peninsula, reporting that they had seen three
British spies. A detachment of militia was sent to reconnoiter and found
three red oxen browsing away in utter innocence of the trouble they had
provoked.

Disposal of the Vessels
The naval station13
at Erie was kept up until 1825, passing successively under the command of
Capt. Daniel S. Dexter, Lieut. George Pierce, Capt. David Deacon and Capt.
George Budd. In 1815, orders were issued to dispose of the vessels to the
best advantage. The Lawrence, Detroit and Queen Charlotte were sunk for
preservation in Misery Bay; the Caledonia and Lady Prevost were sold and
converted into merchant vessels; the Porcupine was transferred to the
revenue service, and the Niagara was kept afloat as a receiving ship for
some years, when she was beached on the northeast side of Misery Bay. At
the auction of Government property, upon the breaking up of the naval
station in 1825, the Lawrence, Detroit, Niagara and Queen Charlotte were
purchased by a Mr. Brown, of Rochester, who re-sold them in 1836 to Capt.
George Miles and others. They raised some of the vessels, intending to fit
them up for the merchant service. The Detroit and Queen Charlotte were
found in tolerable condition, but the Lawrence, being so badly riddled
that she was not worth repairing, was again allowed to sink in the waters
of the bay. After some years of duty, the Detroit was dismantled and sent
adrift to go over Niagara Falls as a spectacle, certainly an inglorious
end for such a famous ship. Capt. Miles transferred his interest in the
Lawrence and Niagara to Leander Dobbins in 1857, who in turn disposed of
the Lawrence in 1875 to John Dunlap and Thomas J. Viers. In the spring of
1876, the latter had her raised, cut in two and transported on cars to
Philadelphia for exhibition at the Centennial, anticipating a small
fortune by the enterprise. The people, however, would not believe that a
vessel no larger than a modern canal boat was the famous Lawrence. The
show proved a disastrous financial failure, and the old hulk was finally
purchased by a firm who expected to realize something by converting her
into relics. The Niagara was never removed from the place where she was
beached, and some of her timbers are still to be seen. Associations for
the erection of a monument to Perry were formed both in 1835 and in 1850,
but were allowed to die out. A petition was sent to Congress in 1850
asking an appropriation of $20,000, provided the State would give as much
more.

American Army Officers
The following is a partial list of army officers from this and other
counties of the Northwest, who participated in the war, most of whom made
Erie their headquarters:

Rufus S. Reed and Stephen Wolverton had large contracts during the war,
the latter for boarding the ship-builders, the former to supply the upper
lake forts with flour, beef, pork and whisky. Among those who came to Erie
as ship-builders and became permanent residents of the town were John
Justice, John Richards and Jeremiah Osborne.

The close of the war found the people of Erie County, with rare
exceptions, very poor. Of money there was scarcely any, and the constant
alarms, compelling them to neglect their crops, left them with nothing to
sell. To add to their misfortunes, the crops of 1815-16 were nearly a
failure, making their condition actually deplorable.

Three of the men who fought with Perry were living in the county in 1861,
viz.: Benjamin Fleming14
and Daniel Metzenburgh, of Erie, and J. Murray, of Girard. The last
survivor of the battle was John Rice, whose death occurred in Shelby
County, Ohio, on the 8th of February, 1880, in the ninetieth year of his
age.

The Story of James Bird
It has been stated that among the militia who came on for the defense of
Erie was a company from Luzerne County. They were known as the
"Kingston Volunteers." One of their number was James Bird, a
young man from Centre County. While the fleet was building, Bird was the
Sergeant in charge of a guard who were placed over the storehouse. The
party, led by Bird, became disorderly, appropriated goods to their own
use, refused admission to the proper officers, and were only brought into
submission after a six-pounder had been loaded and placed into position so
as to blow them to pieces. Difficulty being found in procuring marines,
the offense of these men was condoned, on condition that they should
volunteer to serve on board the fleet. This they did, and Bird fought
gallantly on the Lawrence, receiving a severe wound. In the spring of
1814, another warehouse having been fitted up at the mouth of Mill Creek,
Bird was one of the guard assigned for the protection. He and John Rankin,
another marine, took advantage of the opportunity to desert. They were
recognized shortly after at a country tavern in Mercer County by Charles
M. Reed, then a boy, traveling on horseback to school in Washington
County. A few miles further on, young Reed met the party who were in
pursuit of the deserters, whom he notified of their whereabouts. They were
taken back to Erie, tried by court martial, and condemned to death.

A sailor named John Davis, who had deserted several times, was tried and
sentenced with them. Much discussion ensued on the part of the citizens
and militia, who sympathized to a large extent with Bird and his comrades.
Strong efforts were made to have the sentence of Bird commuted to
imprisonment, on account of his bravery on the 10th of September, but
President Madison declined to interfere, on the ground that he "must
suffer as an example to others." Their execution took place in
October, 1814, on board the Niagara, lying at anchor in Misery Bay, Bird
and Rankin being shot, and Davis hung at the yard arm. The bodies were
interred on the sand beach, east of the mouth of Mill Creek. The most
absurd stories were circulated in connection with the affair, and a string
of rhyme, written by some local "poet," elevating Bird into a
hero, and surrounding him with a halo of romance, was sung and quoted by
the populace for many years after the event.

Official Report of the British Commander
The following is the report of the battle on Lake Erie, forwarded by Capt.
Barclay to the British Naval Department:

His
Majesty's Late Ship Detroit,
Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie, September 12.

Sir -- The
last letter I had the honor of writing to you, dated the 6th
inst., informed you that unless certain intimation was received of
more seamen being on their way to Amherstburg, I should be obliged
to sail with the squadron deplorably manned as it was, to fight
the enemy (who blockaded the port) to enable us to get supplies of
provisions and stores of every description; so perfectly destitute
of provisions was the port that there was not a day's flour in
store, and the crews of the squadron under my command were on half
allowance of many things, and when that was done there was no
more. Such were the motives which induced Maj. Gen. Proctor (whom
by your instructions I was directed to consult, and whose wishes I
was enjoined to execute, so far as related to the good of the
country) to concur in the necessity of a battle being risked,
under the many disadvantages which I labored; and it now remains
for me, the most melancholy task, to relate to you the unfortunate
issue of that battle, as well as the many untoward circumstances
that led to that event.

No intelligence of seamen having arrived, I sailed on the 9th
inst., fully expecting to meet the enemy next morning, as they had
been seen among the islands; nor was I mistaken; soon after
daylight they were seen in motion in Put-in-Bay, the wind then at
southwest and light, giving us the weather gauge; I bore up with
them in hopes of bringing them to action among the islands, but
that intention was soon frustrated by the wind suddenly shifting
to the southeast, which brought the enemy directly to windward.
The line was formed according to a given plan, so that each ship
might be supported against the superior force of the two brigs
opposed to them. About 10 the enemy had cleared the islands and
immediately bore up, under easy sail in a line abreast, each brig
being also supported by the small vessels. At a quarter before 12
I commenced the action by a few long guns; about a quarter past
the American Commodore, also supported by two schooners, one
carrying four long twelve-pounders, the other a long thirty-two
and twenty-four pounder, came to close action with the Detroit;
the other brig of the enemy apparently destined to engage the
Queen Charlotte, supported in like manner by two schooners, kept
so far to windward as to render the Queen Charlotte's twenty-pound
carronades useless, while she was with the Lady Prevost, exposed
to the heavy and destructive fire of the Caledonia and four other
schooners, armed with long and heavy guns, like those I have
already described. Too soon, alas, was I deprived of the services
of the noble and intrepid Capt. Finnis, who soon after the
commencement of the action fell, and with him fell my greatest
support; soon after Lieut. Stokes of the Queen Charlotte was
struck senseless by a splinter, which deprived the country of his
services at this critical period.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
The action continued with great fury until half past two, when I
perceived my opponent drop astern, and a boat passing from him to
the Niagara (which vessel was at this time perfectly fresh); the
American Commodore seeing that as yet the day was against him (his
vessel having struck as soon as he left her), and also the very
defenseless state of the Detroit, which ship was now a perfect
wreck, principally from the raking fire of the gunboats, and also
that the Queen Charlotte was in such a situation that I could
receive very little assistance from her, and the Lady Prevost
being at this time too far to leeward from her rudder being
injured, made a noble and, alas! too successful an effort to
regain it, for he bore up, and supported by his small vessels,
passed within piston shot, and took a raking position on our bow;
nor could I prevent it, as the unfortunate situation of the Queen
Charlotte prevented us from wearing; in attempting it we fell on
board her; my gallant First Lieutenant, Garland, was now mortally
wounded, and myself so severely that I was obliged to quit the
deck. Manned as the squadron was, with not more than fifty British
seamen, the rest, a mixed crew of Canadians and soldiers, and who
were totally unacquainted with such service, rendered the loss of
officers more severely felt, and never in any action was the loss
more severe; every officer commanding vessels and their seconds
was either killed or wounded so severely as to be unable to keep
the deck. (Here follows a eulogistic account of the services of
various officers, and of the men in general. No mention of the
surrender is made in the report, but a letter from Lieut. Inglis,
who took command of the Detroit after Barclay was wounded, which
accompanies the document, states that he "was under the
painful necessity of answering the enemy to say we had struck, the
Queen Charlotte having previously done so." The weather-gauge
gave the enemy a prodigious advantage, as it enabled them not only
to choose their position, but their distance also, which they did
in such a manner as to prevent the carronader of the Queen
Charlotte and Lady Prevost from having much effect; while their
long guns did great execution, particularly against the Queen
Charlotte. Capt. Perry has behaved in a most humane and attentive
manner, not only to myself and officers, but to all the wounded. I
trust that although unsuccessful, you will approve of the motives
that induced me to sail under so many disadvantages, and it may be
hereafter proved that under such circumstances the honor of His
Majesty's flag has not been tarnished. I inclose the list of
killed and wounded.

I
have the honor to be, etc.,
R. H. Barclay, Commander and late senior officer.

1Capt.
Dobbins was born in Mifflin County, Penn., July 5, 1776. He came to Erie
with a party of surveyors in 1796. After Perry's victory, he rendered
efficient service in the expeditions against Mackinaw. He resigned from
the Navy in 1826. In 1829, he was appointed by President Jackson to the
command of the United States revenue cutter Rush, on Lake Erie. He left
active service in 1849, and died in Erie February 29, 1856. His marriage
took place at Cannonsburg, Penn., in 1808. Mrs. Dobbins was the mother of
ten children. She died in her one hundredth year, on the 24th of January,
1879.

2Perry's
headquarters were established at Duncan's Hotel, at the corner of Third
and French streets, Erie.

3The
British hove in sight as the last of Perry's fleet crossed the bar of Erie
Harbor. Their cruising squadron consisted of five vessels.

4There
were three hospitals -- in the court house, on the point of Misery Bay and
near the site of Wayne's block-house.

5James
D. Elliott was born in Maryland in 1785. He entered the United States Navy
as a Midshipman in 1806, and was promoted to a Lieutenancy in 1810. On the
7th of October, 1812, he won great honor by leading an expedition which
captured the British vessels Adams and Caledonia from under the gunds of
Fort Erie. For this he was awarded a sword, and the tanks of Congress.
July 13, 1813, he was appointed to be a master commandant over the heads
of thirty other lieutenants. In 1814, he was transferred to Lake Ontario.
He did good service in the Mediterranean in 1815. In 1818, he was promoted
to be a Captain, and subsequently had command of squadrons of several
stations. He was tried for misconduct in 1840, and sentenced to four
years' suspension from the navy. President Jackson, in 1843, remitted the
balance of his sentence. He died on the 18th of December, 1845.

7Stephen
Champlin returned to Erie, in 1845, as Commander of the United States
steamer Michigan. He remained in that position about four and one-half
years, when he was placed on the reserve list with full pay. He lived at
Buffalo, afterward, and was the last survivor of the commanders in the
battle.

8Lieut.
Holdup was the father of the distinguished Com. Thomas H. Stevens. He
served in the navy many years afterward, and was promoted to post Captain.
He died suddenly, in 1836, while in command of the Washington Navy Yard.
He was an orphan and became a protege of Gen. Stevens, of Charleston, S.
C., who obtained a midshipman's warrant for him in 1809. In 1815, by an
act of the Legislature of South Carolina, he assumed the name of his
benefactor, and was ever after known as Thomas Holdup Stevens.

9In
Henry T. Tuckerman's poem, "The Hero of Lake Erie," he refers to
this flag as follows:
"Behold the chieftain's glad prophetic smile,
As a new banner he unrolls the while;
Hear the gay shout of his elated crew,
When the dear watchword hovers to their view,
And Lawrence, silent in the arms of death,
Bequeaths defiance with his latest breath."

10The battle
took place about ten miles in a northwardly direction from Put-in-Bay. The
action began on the part of the Americans at 5 minutes before 12 o'clock.

11The Norwich
(Conn.) Courier of March 4, 1814, states that "a public dinner
and ball were given to Capt. Barclay at Terrebonne, Canada, on the 20th of
February. Among the voluntary toasts, this gallant but unfortunate officer
gave the following: 'Commodore Perry, the galland and generous enemy.'
"

12Below are
extracts from the Norwich (Conn.) Courier, of June 8, 15 and 22,
1814:
[June 8.]
Canandaigua, May 24.
We are informed by a Mr. Broughton, who has just reached here from Erie,
that the force which lately sailed from that place on a secret expedition,
landed at Long Point, Canada, where they set fire to the houses in what is
called Long Point settlement, by which about one hundred dwelling houses
and all the other buildings for a distance of eight miles into the
interior were destroyed, besides a number of grist mills on Patterson's
Creek.
[June 15.]
Of the attack on Long Point no official account has been published. The
Pittsburgh Mercury, a ministerial paper, states that our troops
paid no respect to either public or private property, but burst and
plundered all they came across, and then returned to Erie in safety. The Mercury
speaks of these excesses in terms of the highest indignation, and we hope
none of our frontier towns may be laid in ruins on account of them.
[June 22]
An article from Erie mentions that the British and Indians are numerous
about Long Point, and that they had set fire to all the houses that were
standing in the neighborhood when our troops left, as it appears they
belonged to persons friendly to the United States.

13The navy
yard is thus described by Capt. Russell, in the communication before
referred to: "The location of the new gas works was occupied for the
purpose. Surrounding it were pickets about fifteen feet high. In a
neighboring ravine were two fish ponds, somewhat elevated, water pouring
over one next to the bay, forming a beautiful landscape. Shaded by forest
trees, it was quite an attractive summer resort. On the bank above,
directly south of the present blast furnace, was a clearing of several
acres cultivated for garden uses and kept in excellent condition by the
navy yard sailors and marines.

"The great guns used by Perry and those captured by him from the
British remained in the Erie Navy Yard until the fall of 1825, when they
were transferred to the one at Brooklyn, N. Y. On the completion of the
Erie Canal, they were placed at intervals of ten miles along that
improvement. When the first fleet of boats left Buffalo, they were fired
in rapid succession. By this means the people of New York City were
notified of the departure of the boats in one hour and twenty
minutes."

14Benjamin
Fleming was born in Lewiston, Del., July 20, 1782. He came to Erie with a
detachment for Perry's fleet, and lived in Erie until his death. He died
in Erie, in May, 1870, and was buried in the cemetery with naval and
military honors.